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The EU has a unique institutional set-up where broad priorities are set by the European Council; decision-making involves European Parliament, Council of the EU and European Commission and number of other institutions.

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The Council endorsed the political agreement reached with the European Parliament on a package of risk reduction measures in the banking sector and adopted an action plan to better tackle money laundering and terrorist financing.

EU exports to the world are more important than ever, supporting 36 million jobs across Europe, two thirds more than in 2000. 14 million of these jobs are held by women. In addition, EU exports to the world generate €2.3 trillion of value added in the EU.

In a Communication published today, the Commission reveals how the Investment Plan for Europe – the Juncker Plan – has helped bring investment back to a sustainable level in Europe, four years after its launch.

New figures released by the European Commission today show that customs authorities detained over 31 million fake and counterfeit products at the EU's external border with a street value of over €580 million.

While Member States' have carried out a lot of work to improve VAT collection, today's figures show that reform of the current EU VAT system combined with better cooperation at EU level are needed so that Member States can make full use of VAT revenues in their budgets.

The European Commission has fined Google €4.34 billion for breaching EU antitrust rules. Since 2011, Google has imposed illegal restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile network operators to cement its dominant position in general internet search.

The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) has mobilised €335 billion in additional investment across the EU since July 2015. The Juncker Plan has made a clear impact on the EU economy and revolutionised the way innovation is financed in Europe.